C# Locrian Guitar Scale — Open D
Guitar scale in Open D tuning — fretboard diagram
C# Locrian in Open D — Notes and Intervals
The C# Locrian scale is the seventh and most unstable mode of the major scale. On Guitar, the notes are C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B. It sounds highly dissonant and unresolved, as its home chord is a diminished triad. While rare as a primary key, it is a crucial technical tool for jazz musicians improvising over half-diminished chords in tension-heavy passages. The diatonic chords of C# Locrian are C#m7b5, DMaj7, Em7, F#m7, GMaj7, A7, Bm7. Commonly used in Jazz, Metal, Experimental, Avant-Garde. Notable players include John Coltrane, Meshuggah, Dream Theater. Use over m7b5 (half-diminished) chords. Essential for jazz ii-V-i in minor keys where the ii chord is half-diminished.
Notes: C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6m, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-W-W-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
Diatonic Chords
C♯m7♭5 — DMaj7 — Em7 — F♯m7 — GMaj7 — A7 — Bm7
About Open D Tuning
Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) produces a full D major chord when strummed open, creating a warm, resonant sound that has been a staple of slide guitar, folk, and acoustic music for over a century. The three D strings create a deep, droning foundation that makes even simple chord shapes sound lush and full.
Open D is closely related to Open E (same intervals, just a whole step lower) but puts less tension on the guitar neck, making it safer for acoustic instruments. It was a favorite of Joni Mitchell, who used it extensively for her unique chord voicings, and Bob Dylan, who popularized it in folk-rock. For slide players, Open D provides the same intuitive major-chord-at-any-fret approach as Open G but with a warmer, deeper character.
Notable artists: Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Bruce Cockburn, Elmore James
Best for: Slide guitar, folk fingerpicking, singer-songwriter arrangements, and acoustic compositions with rich open-string resonance
Explore This Scale in Other Tunings
- C# Locrian in Standard Tuning
- C# Locrian in Drop D
- C# Locrian in DADGAD
- C# Locrian in Open G
- C# Locrian in Baritone (B Standard)
- C# Locrian in 7-string
- C# Locrian in 8-string
- C# Locrian in Drop C
- C# Locrian in Drop B
- C# Locrian in Half Step Down
- C# Locrian in Open E
- C# Locrian in Open A
- C# Locrian in Double Drop D
- C# Locrian in Open C